Driven clutch disk



Dec. 7, 1937.

H. NUTT AL.

DRIVEN CLUTCH Dsx I 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 14, 1935 Dec. 7, 1937. H. NUTT Er An. 2,101,411

DRIVEN CLUTCH DISK f Filed Nov. 14, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @www S NQ

Dec- 7, 1937- H. NUTT Er AL.

DRIVEN CLUTCH DISK 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 14, 1935 4 www .[k gli Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED narnia Nutt and This invention relates driven clutch disks and type adapted for use in 5 drive connection between STATES PATENT oFFlCE DRIVEN CLUTCH msx Harold V. Reed, Chicago. Ill., as-

signors to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 14, 1935, Serial No. 49,653

'7 claims.

to improvements in u more particularly to so-called cushion the engine shaft and transmission shaft of a motor vehicle.

Our present invention comprises an improvement over the invention disclosed and claimed in our copending application `Serial No. 701,888,

l filed December 11, 1933.

Clutch engagement action is generally smoother and less susceptible to chatter if the driven disk has a soft initial engagement. It is an object of our invention therefore, to provide an 15 improved driven clutch disk cushions supporting at least one of the driven plate which are so arfacings upon having multiple stage the friction ranged as to provide a relatively soft cushion during the initial portion of the slip period and 0 a cushion of greater resistance during the latter portion of the slip period. Stated in another manner our improved clutch disk is so constructed as to provide a relatively soft cushion during the light and moderate load condition approaching full comthe `*full load slip period.

25 to maintain a pression 'during Another object is to pro slip periods and vide cushion supports having contact Wlththe friction member at close- 1y spaced intervals, the contacting areas increasing as deection takes place,` complete support of the facing until practically over its entire areaA exists under full compression load. This condition insures uniform over the friction area.

distribution of wear Another object is to'provide a construction in which thedisposition of the rivets for attaching the facings is such `that th ere is no relative motion between the facings and the rivets during compression of the cushion.

Another object is to provide an improvedv driven clutch disk in which single cushion members of simple form are employed which are so constructed and so arranged, of the disk assembly, that relative to the parts they possess multiple 45 vstage cushion characteristics.' v

'A further object is to` provide an improved driven clutch disk having cushion members which are structurally independent of the driven plate and which may therefore be formed of any o desired thickness or outline facture, thus `to facilitate the cushion cl'iaracteristicsv Other objects, the advantages and invention will become apparent g5 following specication and at the time of manupredetermination of of the disk.

uses of Athe after reading the claims, and after conwith a plurality of slots 8 sideration of the accompanying drawings where- Fig. l is an elevation, partially in section, illustrating a clutch disk constructed in accordance with our invention;-

Flg. 2 is a sectional view along the line of Fig. 1; -1

' Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the clutch disk as it appears during the second stage' of compression;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the clutch disk as it appears during the third stage of compression; p l f Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of another form of the clutch disk; l

Fig. 6 is a sectional View along the of Fig. 5; f

Fig. '7 is a view, similar to Fig. 5, of another form of the clutch disk; and f Fig. 8 is a sectional view along Fig. 7.

With reference to Fig. 1 the clutch disk may include, as illustrated, a hub member 2, having a circumferential flange 3, and a driven plate 4. The plate 4 may be constructed` of sheet steel and is mounted concentrically of the axis of the hub 2 and provided with a torque transmitting connection with the hubv through the medium of a plurality of compression springs 5.' The springs 5 maybe located in aligned Openings B, formed in the plate 4 and the hub iiange 3, as more iully illustrated and described in our co-pending application Serial No. 14,768, entitled Clutch disks led Apr. 6, 1935. This construction representsA a commercial type of clutch disk dampening mechanism and, though it smooths out the ilow of power between the disk and the driven shaft upon which the hub 2 is adapted to be mounted, it does not form a part of our present improvement and therefore, may be replaced, if desired, with any conventional hub-plate assembly.

The outer portion of the plate may be formed therethrough, extending from the periphery of the plate toward the hub 2 along a line, parallel with a radial line drawn from thehub oi the plate, but` spaced to one side thereof as illustrated. `1ihe slots Ei possess the duai function of .dividing the outer portion of the plate i into a plurality lof relatively narrow separated sections to promote flexibility of the plate at its outer region and theyl also provide spaces Within which the heads kof certain of the friction facing rivets may' enter during compression o! the disk` in amanner hereinafter explained.

line vt---B Two annular friction facings l and Il, forming a part of the disk assembly, provide a means for frictional engagement between the clutch disk and the opposed facings of the conventional clutch driving assembly (not shown). The facing 9, which like the facing III, may be constructed of any suitable friction material such as moulded composition with fibrous inclusions,

vmay be secured directly to the plate 4 on one side thereof by a plurality of rivets I I` The facing III may be supported upon the other side of the plate 4 through the medium of a plurality of resilient cushion members I2 secured to the plate by the rivets II and to the facing III by rivets Il.

In the clutch disk of Fig. l, we have provided for eight of the cushion members I2, one for each of the plate sections formed by the slots 8. The cushion members may be formed of relatively thin spring steel, substantially rectangular in shape, having portions of their side walls tapered as indicated at I4 to facilitate the placement of thecushion members in close end -to end proximity with one another and in annular array about the outer region of the plate 4. With reference to Fig. 2, illustrating a longitu dinal sectionof one of the cushion members I2, it will be noted that the cushion member is preformed to present two outwardly bowed portions I5 and I6, one on each side of the point of attachment of the cushion members to the plate 4 through the medium of the rivets II. The cushion portion I6 is so formed as to extend farther away from the adjacent surface Il of the plate 4 than the portion I5 and both of the bowed portions are substantially arcuate in form, being generated about lines that are parallel withfthe slot 8 and the aligned rivets II (see Fig. l). The facing I0 maybe secured directly to the bowed portions I 6 of the cushion members by the rivets I3, two such rivets being used for each cushion member and so located that the heads I 8 thereof may enter the adjacent slot l when the clutch disk is compressed.

Each of the cushion members I2 is further formed with an integral tongue Il at the'outer end of the bowed portions II which tongues are adapted to be received within the elongated portions of T-shaped slots 2I punched through the plate 4, one adjacent to each of the slots l. The tongues I9 and the tongue receiving portions of the slots 2| Apreferably lie along axes that a're parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cushion members so that compression of the cushion members, as the facings 8 and Il are urged relatively toward one another will permit the outer ends oi the tongues to slide along the adjacent and inner surface of the friction facing l. In Fig.` 3, we have shown -an enlarged view of one of the tongues I9, illustrating the tapered portion 22. thereof, which facilitates the sliding movement of the tongues over the facing surface during disk compression. As the cushion members are compressed there is, of course, some elongation of the cushion members and hence relative rotary movement between the friction facing I0 and the plate 4. The opposite ends of the cushion members' are provided with notches, 23 adapted partially to receive the tongue I9 of the adjacent cushion member. 'I'hese ends of the cushion members likewise extend toward the plate 4 and are adapted to bear thereupon, as indicated at 24 in Figs. 2 and 3. v

In operation, our improved clutch disk provides, in its rst stage of operation, a cushion characteristic between the opposed facings l and I0 that is relatively "soft". This is by virtue of the fact that movement of the facing Il toward the plate 4 and hence the facing 9, is resisted only by the bowed portions Il` of the cushion members, the eifective lengths of the bowd portions extending from the outermost end 22 of the tongue II to the rivets II (see Fig. 2). As the disk becomes further compressed it enters its second stage of operation by virtue of contact between the end portion 25 of the spring member and surface I1 of plate 4 as illustrated in Fig'. 3, thus to shorten the eifective length of the bowed portion Il. The third stage of cushion action takes place when the facing I Il contacts` the bowed portion Il of the spring members as illustrated in Fig. 4. During the third stage of operation, the clutch disk possesses relatively high resistance to compression and consequently maximum torque may be transmitted with slip" before complete compression of the disk takes place.

It will be noted that the bowed portions I0 of the cushions, except for the relatively low resistance offered by the narrow tongues Il, operate during the nrst stage substantially as cantilever springs and during the second and third stages when the end portions 28 engageA the surface I'I of the plate 4 as half-elliptic springs. The tongues I9 cooperating with the slots 2 I during both stages of cushion operation, function to preclude radial movement of the cushion members due to the action of centrifugal force.

Our improved clutch construction possesses the further and important advantage, in manufacture, of permitting readily of a pre-selection of the extent of cushion resistance for the several stages by mere choice of cushion members I2 of different thicknesses and of diilferent relative curvature'as to the bowed portions II and l Il thereof. 'I'his is an advantage which is not to be found in cushion clutch disks as employed heretofore in the art.

In Figs. 5 and, we have illustrated another form of our improved clutch disk which differs from that illustrated in Fig. l, principally in the construction and mounting of the cushion members I2a. Parts heretofore identified by reference characters in Fig. l, bear similar reference characters. In this form of the clutch disk the cushv ions IIa are fixed to the plate 4 by pairs of rivets 30, located at the center of the cushion members and disposed along a radial line drawn from the hub 2 parallel with the slot 8. 'I'he end portions of each of the cushion members I2a are formed with outwardly bowed portions 3| and 22 respectively. the outer ends of which curve toward, but normally do not touch the adjacent surface I1 of the plate 4. The facing Il is secured to the portions 32 of the cushions by rivets Il, the heads IU of which may enter, during disk oompression, the adjacent slots l. 'I'he curved portion Il of the spring members contacts with but is not secured to the facing Il and is formed with openings 22 therethrough for accommodating the head 34 of rivets Il, employed to secure the facing 9 to the plate 4. l

In operation th clutch disk of Figs. 5 and 6 provides a relatively soft cushion characteristic during the first stage of its compression. As the facings 9 and Il are moved relatively toward one another the outermost ends 36 and I1 of the cushion members I2a are caused to contact the surface I1 of the plate 4, thus to increase resistance to the compression ofthe cushion members by virtue of the fact that initially the portions 3l and 32 of the cushions operate as cantilever springs and in their second stage the cushions operate as half-elliptic springsby virtue of engagement between their outer ends and the plate I.

In Figs. 'I and 8, we have illustrated another form of clutch disk which is identical with that form illustrated in Fig. 1 with the exception that the bowed portion i5 of the cushion member is not present. With reference to Fig. 8, each of the cushion members I2b is formed with an outwardly bowed portion I6", having a tongue,|9b, extending within a T-shaped slot 2l and adapted to slide upon the adjacent surface of the facing 9. Rivets I3 are employed to secure the facing I0 to the bowed portions I6b of the cushion. 'Ihe opposite ends of the cushion members beyond the rivets Il are curved upwardly away from the plate 4, as indicated at 38 and normally do not engage with the adjacent face of the facing l0.

During first stage operation of the clutch disk of Figs. 7 and 8, the effective length of the bowed portions i6 is from the tip of the tongues. I9b to the rivets i I, thus providing by virtue of the narrow width of the tongues I9b relatively soft cushions acting substantially as cantilever springs. As the disk is further compressed, the facing Ill will contact with the portions 38 of the cushion members and the portions 25b will contact with the adjacent surface i1 of the plate l, thus to shorten the effective length of the portion |61 and to increase the resistance by virtue of its action as a half-elliptic spring of the cushion which-augmented by the engagement between the cushion portion 38 and the facing il! provides a relatively high resistance to further compression of the disk representing the second stage operation of the cushion.

We claim: f

1. In a friction clutch disk, a driven plate of relatively non-yielding material adapted to be mounted upon a shaft, an annular frictionfacing carried by said plate on one side thereof, a similar friction facing disposed upon the opposite side of the plate in normally spaced apart relationship relative thereto, and multi-stage cushion means carried by said plate yieldingly to support said last named facing thereupon, said means comprising a plurality of structurally independent relatively light spring steel members each fixedadjacent one end to the plate and each free at its outer end and having an intermediate bowed portion contacting with and secured to said last named facing, said free ends of said cushion members being adapted, during compression of the disk, to engage with and abut a portion of said plate and first named facing assembly.

2. A friction clutch disk, as dened in claim l, wherein the resilient members are arranged with their longitudinal axes extending circumferentially of the plate and wherein the bowed portion of each resilient member is bowed in a substantially arcuate curve. i

3. A friction clutch disk, as `defined in claim 1,

wherein the cushion members extend in annular array about the outer region of the plate.

4. A friction clutch disk as denned in claim 1, wherein the said free endsof the cushion members are more yielding than the said intermediate portions thereof.

5. A clutch plate having a friction facing located on one side thereofadjacent to its periph- A ery, resilient cushions extending away from the body of said plate and secured to said facing whereby yieldingly to support the facing in par' allel relationship relative to the body of the plate, said resilient cushions being bent in the direction of the plate at the outer end portions but nor- .mally free of contact with the plate, whereby resistance to movement of the facing toward the body of the plate may take place in two successive stages, flrstly, by cushion resistance prior to contact between the said outer end portions and the plate, and secondly, by cushion resistance after contact between said outer end portions and the plate.

6. A friction clutch disk comprising, a driven plate adapted to be mounted on a shaft, a pair of annular friction facings, one for each side of said plate, and means carried by said plate providing resilient cushion members extending generally in a circumferential direction relative to said plate and having intermediate portions normally spaced away from said plate, one of said facings being secured to said intermediate cush- 'ion portions, thereby to provide a resilient support for the facing relative to said plate, said plate having openings therethrough, said cushions having other portions at the outer ends thereof beyond said intermediate portions extending through the openings in said plate and adapted to engage the other facing, said resilient cushion members being formed of relatively thin spring steel and secured to the driven plate and to the annular friction facing by rivets.

7. A friction clutch disk comprising, a driven plate adapted to be mounted upon a shaft, a pair of annular friction facings, one for each side ofl said plate, means securing one of said'facings to said plate, and means carried by said plate providing al plurality of resilient cushion members yieldingly to support the other facing upon said plate in spaced apart and substantially parallel relationship thereto, said cushions extending in l a circumferential direction relative to said plate and having portions bowed away from said plate and other portions at the free ends thereof extending in the direction of the plate, said plate having openings therethrough whereby the said end portions of said cushions may contract with said first named facing and may slide thereupon during compression of the cushion, the free ends of said cushion members being in the form of tongues having a width less than the normal width of the cushion members.

HAROLD NUTI. HAROLD V. REED. 

